Orphans Beloved Bad Influence II
by regertz
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.


Orphans Beloved… "Bad Influence II…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

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Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

"I'm so glad you've chosen to meet, Allison." The cool voice of Rachel Duncan, sound of her leaning back in chair. "It strengthens my impression of you after your wise decision to accept our contract."

"Well…" Allison, uncertain, despite her firmly combed defensive shield bangs, in her standard sweater and slacks, seated, facing the icy stare across the huge desk of her twin in frosted hair and elegant silver and blue outfit. "It's just that Sarah called me…About her daughter…She was pretty frantic."

"Ms. Manning seems that as a usual rule." Dry tone. "And you wanted to know if we knew anything…?"

"She thinks you people took Kira…And my sister Cosima mentioned something about…Patents? Genetic patents, on us?"

"Patents? On human beings?" Rachel, cool smile. "Rather ridiculous outside some science fiction movie, wouldn't you say? As for Kira…Most likely Sarah's foolish decision not to accept our help and protection allowed Tomas and his group of fanatics a chance to find her. Or, possibly…Given that Sarah is a rather dramatic and, shall we say, experienced person in the art of manipulation?…She staged Kira's disappearance hoping to enlist you and Cosima in a bid to get more from us."

"Sarah wouldn't do that." Allison frowned. "And my husband agrees with me that I should know more about the ramifications of this 'patent' thing on our contract."

Really? Does he? Unblinking stare.

Getting his own "ideas" is our Donnie?

"Allison…Dear girl…If I may call you Allison?"

"You have…Several times."

"Sorry…I felt a connection." Frostly smile.

"…It seems to me you are far too willing to let Donald and others make your decisions for you."

"Actually…I made the decision to come myself."

"And good for you." Thin smile. "You've taken the first step to empowering yourself. Allison, a person with your potential shouldn't be wasting away in suburbia, tied down to children and an overbearing yet trivial fellow."

Who outlived his usefulness the moment he started advising her to act against our interests…

"I love my children…And Donnie…And he's been very patient during all this…"

"Motherhood is wonderful, I've no doubt… As is the marital knot…" Frosty look. "But you could be so much more…Allison, here at Dyad a number of us…We special human beings, as I choose to call us…Are in positions of great responsibility in both the daily operation of this project and the planning for its future."

"Future? Aren't we done?…Free to live our lives? That was the promise Dr. Leekie made me. "

"Of course…And the results obtained to date and from our future non-invasive, utterly open reviews will be invaluable. But planning to optimize the final results must continue and is in motion. And you want to be sure and see that you land in the best possible spot…At the top of the heap, where our kind belongs."

"Our kind?"

"Allison…Surely you can see that we represent the cutting edge of a new breed of Humanity…Better, stronger, faster, more intelligent…"

"Sicker, more likely to be shot by insane copies of us…"

"Please…Allison…As a housewife sort, surely you know…You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs…"

"Cosima figured about 100000 to achieve your omelet." Allison noted.

"Darling…Sister…" sigh.

"Are we sisters?..." Allison frowned.

"Genetically, yes…" Rachel nodded, attempting and failing at warm smile…

Lord knows there's no other way we could be connected, you neurotic hausefrau…

"So we share…Parents?"

"We are, all of us, spawned from the same initial fertilized cell, in that sense we share parentage. But more important, Allison, I sense we share a connection…We're both strong and capable people who get what we want and aren't afraid to do so."

"And you got that from what?...Watching my monitor tapes over the years?" Allison frowned.

"In part, yes, actually." Rachel nodded calmly. "I must say I was impressed as to how you dealt with the Norris woman."

Oh.

Uh…

"You saw that…"

"That little battle in the street was epic…" Rachel beamed. "Pity the woman died in that rather gruesome accident…."

"Well, Aynsley was always a great fan of Isadora Duncan…I think she wouldn't have been sorry to go the way she did." Allison, solemnly…Nervous glance to wall…

"I shouldn't have lost my temper with her…"

"Nonsense…You came to view her, with some evidence and reason, as a threat and took action." Rachel shrugged. "I would have done the same if such a person…"

Oh, God…The idea of being "menaced" by some gossipy little suburbanite…

"…threatened me. Though, I'm afraid I must tell you…And it makes my point rather well… Donald…"

Allison waved her off to Rachel's surprise…

"Of course I know Donnie was my monitor…He told me as soon as I mentioned Dr. Leekie and my concerns about the contract after Cosima brought up the patents thing."

"Then you know how he's lied…" Rachel attempting to reassert control, though rather startled at Allison's calm…

Allison shrugged…

"Leekie's been claiming to be my real father for years…which is perhaps not all that far off? I mean, the male genetic donor for the fertilized egg Mother received…" she eyed Rachel who gave a noncommittal look. "He even approached my mother years ago and offered to pay for my medical care and therapy as my 'father' of sorts. Donnie simply thought he was still concerned about me, trying to help us. He didn't want to upset me and Leekie didn't want me to know about him. A bad call, maybe, but given Mother introduced them and all…Anyway Donnie wasn't my sole monitor, after all, was he?" narrow stare… "Chad…Aynsley's husband…Came by…"

"Your lover?" Rachel, a bit smugly… "Quite a rock-solid marriage there…"

"God, no…" Allison, staring. "My hit-back-at –Allison…When I thought I'd torched my marriage after gluing-gunning Donnie. Anyway, he came to ask Donnie if he could get in touch with Aynsley's boss, that Dr. Leekie, to collect a paycheck she was owed?"

"Oh…"

God, Aldous…The people you hire for us…Olivier Duval, these Norrisidiots…Internal sigh…

"So I had two monitors…Natural enough since Donnie would have caught on to any craziness with examinations and all that. And Aynsley introduced me to my current therapist who supplied my pills…" hard stare.

"Well…It was only our desire to keep a close eye on your progress, Allison…And clearly Donald still choose to lie to you…Now, it's time you took your fate into your own hands. Seize the power within you, Allison and come with us. You'll find…"

"Just what power do you have, Rachel?" Allison eyed her, cutting her off in mid-spiel. "I see you here at your desk trying to look like you run the show here but I think if I checked I'd quickly find you're the token clone…I'd bet anything you've got about as much power as the night janitor to affect decisions here…Even for your own future, whatever Dr. Leekie tells you. He put you here, to be the face of Dyad to us, your sisters, thinking it would calm us. Well, sister, something tells me you couldn't save your own skin if Dyad decided it would be neat to examine your internal organs…"

"Mrs. Hendrix, I happen to be Executive Vice-President in charge of…"

"…Holding clone hands and making threatening noises?" Allison smiled. "Oh, please…" she frowned… "You're spooning me empowerment? Lady, I was empowered from day one. I'm the Queen of Empowerment…I don't need you to tell me I am strong." Bangs shaking proudly… "And as for my family and Donnie that is a choice I made. I'm proud of what I've accomplished there…My kids and the better persons Donnie and I are for our union. You can sneer at us all you like, sister…The silly suburbanites from Scarsborough…But we have a heart and center, what do you have? Who makes you happy at night, who listens to your troubles and tries to sympathize, Dr. Leekie?" eyes Rachel's somewhat perturbed stare… "God…? Don't tell me you're sleeping with him? Delphine told us he couldn't keep his hands off any woman around him under sixty-five and he'd make exceptions there, too, but I hoped, with in effect, his own daughter?"

"Uh…Aldous isn't exactly my father…" Rachel began…

"Oh…Eehew…" Allison shook her head. "What the hell is wrong with you? I mean I don't say a nice, older man might not be a good choice in some cases for some girls but, Aldous Leekie? And he is our genetic father, isn't he?"

"Only…In…Part…" Rachel, blinking…

"Double eehew…Rachel? And you sit here spewing his line to reel us in, day after day? Has he even checked to make sure you're ok, I mean diseasewise? You know, Cosima is sick now…"

"Uh…He assures me…"

"Oh, well…That sure would convince me. 'He assures you.' And you believe him? The man whom you can tell lies by watching his lips move? The man who ordered you to try and grab poor Sarah's Kira, his granddaughter, in a way?"

"Aldous wouldn't let me get sick…He loves me…And he just wants to keep Kira safe, from Tomas…"

"Aldous loves Aldous and Dyad Institute and that Nobel he no doubt polishes every morning in his head…Not you, Rachel. How could he and put you here to lie to us? You know you're lying to us, these contracts are nothing but phony promises to suck us in and keep us from going public. And keep Kira safe from Tomas? Please…He wants to find out what matters her tick, and would happily dissect her to do so."

"It's for our benefit and Humanity's…He said so…The project is our reason for existence…" Rachel, desperately now.

Hard stare…

"Well, the slaves had 'Uncle Tom', I guess we have 'Aunt Rachel'." Allison, grimly…Rising… "I personally prefer to think I have other reasons for existence than to serve Dyad as a lab rat. Good day, Ms. Duncan…Thanks for your presumed offer of employment but I already have more than I can handle on my present plate. Oh, and as a sign of good faith, Donnie says to tell Dr. Leekie to suck the big one, he resigns as Dyad's monitor…Though he'll continue as a monitor. But he has a better offer, from me."

She walked out, bangs proudly waving…Rachel staring…Sinking back in her chair…

Buzz on phone… "Leekie, here…Rach? How'd it go with Hendrix? She coming on board?"

Dad would never lie to me…Would he? She stared at the phone…

"Uh, well, Aldous…" she began…


End file.
